Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 154
Jyotiṣa-śāstra Saṅgraha: Threefold Division, Gaṇita Methods, Muhūrta, and Planetary Reckoning
तेषां शिवघ्नाः शैलाप्ता व्यावर्काजः शरोंगुलैः । अर्कं विधुर्विधुं भूभा छादयत्यथा छन्नकम् ॥ १५४ ॥
teṣāṃ śivaghnāḥ śailāptā vyāvarkājaḥ śaroṃgulaiḥ | arkaṃ vidhurvidhuṃ bhūbhā chādayatyathā channakam || 154 ||
Parmi eux se trouvaient des ennemis meurtriers de Śiva, nés de la montagne et féroces comme des loups; de flèches mesurées à l’empan du doigt ils abattirent le soleil; et, comme l’éclat de la terre voile la lune, la lune aussi fut obscurcie, comme recouverte d’un voile.
Narada (in dialogue context with the Sanatkumara brothers; Moksha-dharma narrative style)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It uses the obscuring of the sun and moon as a symbolic warning: when destructive, anti-dharmic forces rise, even the ‘lights’ of discernment and order appear veiled—urging the seeker to take refuge in dharma and mokṣa-oriented conduct.
Indirectly, it frames a world where cosmic order can be ‘covered’; Bhakti (especially Viṣṇu-bhakti emphasized across Book 1.2) is presented in this section as a stabilizing refuge when external conditions become darkened and confusing.
The verse employs precise metrical/measurement language (aṅgula) and astronomical imagery (Sun/Moon obscuration), resonating with Vedāṅga concerns like Jyotiṣa (celestial phenomena) and Kalpa-style precision in measures—even within a Purāṇic narrative.